Washington cheerleaders were ‘dangled as sex objects,’ say team was ‘pimping us out’ during Costa Rica trip: report

Washington football cheerleaders were required to do more than just provide sideline entertainment, according to a New York Times report.

Washington football cheerleaders said they felt the team was "pimping them out" during corporate events and treated them like "sex symbols to please male sponsors," according to a report.

During a 2013 Costa Rica team calendar trip, cheerleaders told The New York Times they were forced to be escorts, as well as on a 2012 private boat party where men "shot liquor into the cheerleaders' mouths with turkey basters" and "handed out cash prizes in twerking contests."

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Five anonymous cheerleaders who were involved in the Costa Rica trip say that sex and inappropriate touching were not involved, according to the newspaper.

However, for the photo shoot at the adults-only Occidental Grand Papagayo resort on Culebra Bay, some cheerleaders said they were forced to go topless or wear nothing but body paint. And while the resort was secluded, the organization had invited "a contingent of sponsors and FedExField suite holders — all men" for "up-close access to the photo shoots."

Following one of the days, which included 14 hours of posing and dance practices, the squad director told nine of the 36 cheerleaders that they were to be personal dates for some of the men at a nightclub.

"They weren't putting a gun to our heads, but it was mandatory for us to go," one of the cheerleaders said, according to the report. "We weren't asked, we were told."

Washington cheerleaders wait in the tunnel before running out on the field against the Philadelphia Eagles at FedExField on Sept. 9, 2013 in Landover, Maryland. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

While their participation did not involve sex, several cheerleaders felt like the ordeal amounted to nothing more than "pimping us out," being forced to "go as sex symbols to please male sponsors, which they did not believe should be a part of their job."

"It's just not right to send cheerleaders out with strange men when some of the girls clearly don't want to go," one cheerleader who was there said.

The organization also defended their handling of cheerleaders.

"Each (Washington) cheerleader is contractually protected to ensure a safe and constructive environment. The work our cheerleaders do in our community, visiting our troops abroad, and supporting our team on the field is something the (Washington) organization and our fans take great pride in," the team said in a statement.